This invention relates to environmental protection, and more particularly to an apparatus for preventing oil spills from domestic oil storage tanks.
There is ever increasing concern over damage to the environment caused by pollution from man-made sources, and on-going efforts are underway to identify and eliminate sources of pollution. Domestic furnace oil storage tanks represent collectively a substantial source of oil leakage into the environment. Such tanks are typically made of steel and corrode over the years due to the acid content of the furnace oil. Slow seepage can occur without the homeowner's knowledge. Over the years a substantial quantity of oil can leak into the foundation, whether it be soil if the tank is located outside, or concrete, if the tank is located in a basement.
Not only is this environmentally harmful, the removal of contaminated soil or concrete is extremely expensive, since all the contaminated material has to be removed and transported to a hazardous waste site. The lingering smell from contaminated oil can render a house uninhabitable.
An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus capable of alleviating this problem.